That's What Girlfriends Do
by Ltb16
Summary: This starts with Killian having Thanksgiving dinner with Emma, Henry and the Charmings. Just some cute fluff. There's some holiday fluff and then random stuff to keep me going through the mid-season hiatus. Once the show returns, I'll go back to my other fic, Never Give Up.
1. Chapter 1: Thanksgiving

**Hi! So I decided to start another story where I can share my CS fluff during the hiatus. I know we're not there yet, but I doubt the show is going to cover Thanksgiving dinner so here we are. I couldn't pass up using what Colin said in that last interview. **

**Once the show breaks, I'll include chapters/one-shots here and when it comes back on in March, I'll start following the plot again and move back to my Never Give Up story. **

* * *

><p>"Hey wanna swing by the store with me? David forgot parsley and mushrooms for Thanksgiving dinner and my mom is having a cow." Emma asked.<p>

Killian looked at her confused. "Thanks who?"

"Oh, Thanksgiving. When the first settlers came to America they had a feast with the Native Americans here in autumn and eventually it became a holiday. That's the short version of it, I'm sure you could ask Henry for the more detailed story, they cover it every year in school. But it's kind of evolved to a holiday that you spend with family and eat lot of foods." Emma explained.

"Sounds...interesting?" Killian offered.

"It is. There's a joke about spending hours and hours prepping and cooking food and then the entire meal is over in just a few minutes, but it's really the truth. My mom is making a ton of food for four adults, a teenager and a baby, but she refuses to make less. You umm, might want to find some less tight pants for the holiday though. It's all about over-indulging."

"You think my pants are too tight love?" He asked grinning and twisting to look around at his back side. "I thought they fit quite well. At least, from the admiring glances you think I don't see."

Her cheeks flushed. "I do not check out your ass, pirate! But hey if you wanna stuff yourself with food and then be all uncomfortable in tight pants, go for it buddy."

He caught her wrist, pulling her in close so his lips just grazed her ear, grinning at the shudder she failed to hide. "Whatever you need to tell yourself love. But perhaps we should go to the store as not to keep your mother waiting any longer?"

"Let's go." She growled.

-/-

"Oh thank you so much!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed as Emma and Killian entered the loft, grocery bags swinging from Killian's hook.

"I also bought some wine, I thought we might need it." Emma said.

From across the room her father snorted until his wife fixed him with a glare.

"Is there anything we can assist you with?" Killian asked, ignoring the horrified look from Emma.

Mary-Margaret paused for a moment, eyes glancing around the kitchen. Food was in various states of prep and cooking. "Yes, why don't the two of you make the apple pie."

"I, I don't think that's such a good idea." Emma said, looking fearfully at the stack of apples.

"Oh come on love, it can't be that difficult." Killian chided her.

"He's right Emma. I know this family has...issues with apples, but a simple apple pie recipe I've made since I was a child is nothing to fear. It's my mothers own recipe if that makes you feel better." Mary-Margaret explained.

"Fine." Emma said sullenly. She was really not interested in subjecting Killian to her atrocious culinary skills just yet. The longer she spent in Storybrooke the more her fake cooking memories from New York slipped away. At this point she wasn't convinced she could make toast with the man watching her.

"Emma you'll need to peel, core and thinly slice those apples. Killian, the dough is in the fridge but it needs to be rolled out. You can assist Emma with the apples first though." Mary-Margaret said with a smile.

Surprisingly, the apple peeling, coring and slicing went rather easily with no mishaps. Killian speared each apple in the core to hold it steady as she sliced each into quarters then thinner slices. Once she had sat down the knife, his lips grazed her ear. "I knew you could do it."

She rolled her eyes at him, brushing off the compliment. "Don't these need sugar or something?" She asked her mother.

"Yes, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a splash of vanilla. Oh and a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from browning." Her mother replied. "Then put them in a colander over the sink to let them drain. If they're too wet the pie crust will get soggy."

"Come on pirate, now you need to do your part." Emma pulled him over to the fridge and handed him a plastic wrapped disc of dough.

"Flour that!" Her mother reminded her.

Counter lightly floured, he unwrapped the dough and expertly took the rolling pin from Emma and began to roll the dough out in a circular fashion.

"Really?" Emma asked.

"While the memory is vague, love, I do remember my mother making pies. Liam and I were always tasked with rolling out the dough." He explained.

Mary-Margaret walked by, nodding her approval at the dough and apples before placing a pie pan in front of them. "Crimp the edges, add the apples to the top. I already have strips of dough on the other side of the counter to use as a lattice crust."

Emma watched in awe as Killian deftly placed the dough over the pie plate and expertly crimped the edges. "Are you doing the lattice top too?" She asked him.

"No, we're doing it together." He said, motioning for her to add the apples to the pie.

Ten minutes later a pie that Emma thought was store quality sat on the counter. Her mother grinned. "Beautiful pie! Now you'll both be here at twelve tomorrow, yes?"

"Only if I can get back to the station and get some work done." Emma teased her mother.

"Bye then!" Her mother waved them out the door.

-/-

"You weren't kidding." He said quietly to Emma. "That is enough food for a small army."

"Told ya. Regretting your pants?" She teased him.

"Not at the moment, but perhaps if I do indulge you can assist me in removing them." He winked, grinning at how quickly her face flushed.

"Be good!" She hissed.

"Always." He replied taking her arm to pull her over to the wide array of foods sitting on the table. "Care to explain what all of this is?"

She began pointing. "That's stuffing, it's bread, celery, onions, seasonings, a very classic dish. You know what mashed potatoes and gravy are. That's cranberry sauce. It's kind of tart but a classic that you have to have at the table. That's sweet potato casserole, it's sweet potatoes topped with brown sugar and marshmallows so it's really sweet. Almost dessert like. The stuff in the orange dish is green bean casserole. It's green beans and mushrooms in a sauce with a crunchy onion topping. Pumpkin pie and then the apple pie we made. The turkey is in the oven."

Mary-Margaret walked up to them with a large tray of nuts, cheeses and pickles. "Appetizers. I don't intended to let you get hungry. The turkey still needs another thirty minutes in the oven plus time to rest before I can carve it."

About an hour later everyone was seated at the dining room table, plates overflowing with food.

"We're going to say what we're thankful for, right?" Henry asked.

"Of course!" His grandmother replied. "Why don't you go first."

"I'm thankful for being back in Storybrooke with all of my memories, my family and that my x-box finally arrived." Henry said.

David was next. "I'm thankful that we all get to spend this holiday together, finally."

Mary-Margaret went next. "I'm thankful for both of my amazing children."

"Umm, I'm thankful for just being here with all of you. This year has been the craziest of them all and I'm just happy we're all together." She said, turning to look at Killian.

His eyes met hers briefly before looking to her parents. "I'm thankful that you have invited me to join you for this meal." Turning to Henry he said, "That I have acquired such a great sailing mate." Looking back at Emma, he said softly, "You. Simply you."

Emma felt her cheeks flame having no idea how to respond to him.

"Let's eat, I'm starving!" Henry announced, saving her from the moment.

-/-

Hours later, the plates had been cleared, leftovers put away and only the desserts remained. Emma was sitting next to Killian on the couch, his arm around her, her head resting on his chest. She smiled to herself, remembering the last time they were in this position. "This is even kinda nice when I'm not freezing." She joked.

She felt his chest shake gently with a laugh. "Perhaps we could try it more often."

"Yeah." She said, lacing her fingers with his.

"Thank you for showing me the traditions of this holiday, love." He said brushing a kiss to her temple.

"That's what girlfriends do." She replied.

* * *

><p><strong>If my turkey isn't ready on time today (it's Thanksgiving in the US) I'm blaming it on the fact that I wanted to share this with you more than I wanted to cook Thanksgiving dinner. :) <strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Black Friday

**Wow! Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! I know this is stupidly late, but I couldn't pass up Emma explaining the traditions of Black Friday to Killian. And I think the episode tonight is going to be full of angst and unhappy feels so I needed some fluff. **

* * *

><p>"What do you bloody well mean I have to wake up at three a.m.?" Killian asked befuddled.<p>

"For the sales! Black Friday is biggest holiday shopping day of the whole year. As soon as I was old enough to earn my own money I started saving it to go Black Friday shopping. It's a _tradition_." Emma pouted at him.

"But why is it at three in the morning? Nothing good bloody well happens between the witching hour and sunrise." He countered.

Emma tried a different tactic. "I thought pirates were early risers?"

"Six is early." He replied stubbornly.

"And I thought pirates liked treasure." She continued.

"They do." He said warily.

"This is like our equivalent of treasure. Limited availability, deeply discounted treasure." She explained.

"I see. But you still haven't explained the purpose of the hour." He said.

"You gotta stand in line to get the best deals and that's when the line starts. If you wait, the good stuff will be gone." She explained.

"And why must I accompany you on this adventure? I have everything I could possibly want." He grinned at her, making her heart skip a beat.

Two could play at that game she thought. She returned to her place on the couch next to him, nose nuzzling against his neck. "I thought you liked spending time with me and it would be an adventure. It's crazy and fun and I think you should see it."

He huffed. "Really Swan? Using that against me? You're incorrigible. However, if I must a company you on this middle of the night adventure, it is time I take my leave."

He began to ease himself off the couch, stomach still incredibly full from all the food he had consumed. He'd never admit it to Emma, but perhaps she was right about his pants not being the best choice. Her hand on his chest stopped him from moving further.

"You're staying here. I can't add in the extra time to swing by Granny's to get you and I don't really trust you'll actually wake up." She said.

He pretended to look affronted until David interrupted them.

"I don't understand the logic of this shopping trip either, but Emma is right. You should see it. It's quite the sight." His voice turned stern. "And I take it that since you'll only get five hours of sleep sharing a bed with my daughter, _directly above my own, _that you will strongly exercise your ability to be a gentleman."

It was more of a command than a question. "Aye, mate."

"I need new gloves, should you see any good pairs." David said to Emma before taking his wife's hand and bidding them good night.

"Come on," Emma tugged on his hand. "Let's go to bed."

"Definitely not the context in which I ever expected to hear those words fall from your lips, love." He muttered.

She snorted, leading him up the steps to her bedroom. He took in the surroundings of the small room. A bed, no larger than his at Granny's was adorned with a patchwork quilt and a few fluffy pillows he sensed were not Emma's style. A nightstand frame either side of the bed, lamp and various other items on top. Two small dressers were also in the room and an oversized armchair with her signature leather jacket thrown over the arm. A photo of her and Henry sat on one dresser, one of her parents on the other.

Opening the bottom drawer of the dresser closer to the stairs she pulled out a large pair of sweatpants and threw them at him. "They should fit, they're men's." She pulled out another pair of pants and a tank top. "You can either go downstairs to the bathroom to change or we can both turn around and change. Up to you."

"I won't look if you won't, love." He grinned.

He changed quickly and waited until he heard the rustle of the blankets being pulled down before turning around again. "Why exactly is it that you have men's clothing?" He asked, walking to the opposite side of the bed.

"They're more comfortable. Do you have a side you prefer sleeping on?" She asked.

"No. Do you?" He replied.

"Nope. Come on then Captain, let's see if you can keep it G rated to share a bed with me." She teased him.

Climbing into bed beside her, he smiled. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Movies have ratings here to determine who can see them. G is how kids movies are rated meaning they are basically fluff. Remind me to explain the rest of the ratings to you at some point, but not tonight. Three a.m. is going to come quickly." She explained.

"Don't I know it." He leaned forward capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. "Good night love."

-/-

Feather light kisses peppered his cheek and jawline. Her scent enveloped him. He was convinced this was quite the pleasant dream until he felt the weight of her body shift against him. Slowly his eyes fluttered open. She was inches from him, messy blonde hair framing her face. "We have fifteen minutes until my alarm goes off." She whispered.

"Mmmm." He mumbled, shifting onto his side to face her, eyes closing again.

"Oh come on! Don't be like Henry when I need to wake him up for school." Emma huffed.

"Maybe you should return to what you were doing. It was quite pleasant. Perhaps it will convince me to wake up." He smirked, eyes still closed. He groaned when she punched his shoulder but kept his eyes closed.

Her lips returned to his jawline pressing soft kisses there before she finally rested her lips against his. He finally reciprocated, slow and lazy kisses were shared between them until he jumped back at the loud noise emitting from her phone.

"Bloody hell woman do you need the most aggravating of noises to rouse you from slumber? I am sure I could find much more pleasant ways." He growled as she fumbled for her phone before finally turning it off.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one who found the pleasant way to wake you. It's not my normal alarm, I just wanted to make sure I didn't oversleep today. Useless anyway since I woke up before it." She said.

"Are you typically in the habit of waking up in the middle of the night?" He asked curious as to her sleeping habits.

"No. I guess because I don't usually share the bed with anyone I slept differently." She said.

"Good different or bad different?" He inquired.

"Good. Now come on, we gotta be out of here in thirty minutes." She bounced out of the bed with more pep than anyone should ever possess at that hour, quickly walking over to her dresser and pulling out a pair of jeans and a sweater. "I'm gonna change in the bathroom downstairs. Meet me down there when you're dressed? I'll find another toothbrush."

He groaned again before finally hauling himself up from the comfortable bedding and changing into his usual clothing. He turned to head down the steps when the state of the unmade bed caught his eye. Naval habits were hard to shake. Once the bed was properly made he tried to quietly walk down the creaky wooden stairs should anyone else in the loft still be sleeping.

Emma emerged from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. "Here. You have 5 minutes before we're walking out the door."

"You said we were leaving in 30 minutes." He grumbled.

"Henry's ready, I'm ready. It can't take you much longer." She replied.

-\-

She grinned and bit back a laugh as she watched his eyes widen in surprise at the line beginning to wrap around the building.

"Swan this is insanity. What is wrong with the people of your realm?" He asked bewildered.

"They love good deals. Come on, we don't want to get separated." She took his hand, pulling him along until they stood amid a swarm of other holiday shoppers. Reaching into her coat she handed Henry a small piece of paper. "Kid, you know what you need to get right? That book for Mary-Margaret and the scarf for Regina."

Henry nodded. "Yeah and I have to get something for you too so can we just meet in the food court at 6?"

"Yeah. Don't forget to text me if you're going to be early or late." She reminded him before he took off in the opposite direction of the mall.

"It's all about dividing and conquering." She explained to Killian. "Some of the stuff we need to get is at this store and a couple other things are at the store located at the opposite end of the mall. Henry's going to get those and we'll meet in the middle when we're done."

"The store will be opening in five minutes. Five minutes." A disembodied voice rang out from the speakers.

She squeezed his hand. "Stay with me. I know exactly where I'm going in the store to get what I need and then we'll get out of here and move onto the next one."

He nodded, eyes still wide from taking in the sights around him.

"Please remember to be courteous this holiday season to your fellow shoppers and the store employees. We hope you get all of the great deals you are looking for and thank you for shopping with us. The store is now open." The voice rang out from the speakers again and almost instantly the crowd began to move into the store in quick succession.

She practically dragged him to the back of the store, his hook reaching out briefly to snag a pair of men's gloves on an end display. Emma skidded to a stop in front of a pile of video games, eyes scanning them before grabbing two and turning to him. "This is all I need here. They're for Henry."

He held up the gloves. "Think your father will like these?"

"Yeah, they're great. When the hell did you manage to grab them?" She asked confused.

"As you were dragging me through the store." He held up his hook. "Comes in handy for grabbing things."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now we gotta get to the register." She said, already pulling him along.

The wait was short and she grinned as the register indicated both games were half price. Two stores later, Killian had caught on quickly, eyes scanning the sale items as well as Emma's and grabbing things he thought would make as good gifts. He found a stuffed animal for Neal, a sweater for her mother and a new scarf for Henry.

"Love, perhaps we could split up in the next store? I would prefer to find something for you alone." He said.

"Oh yeah, okay." She replied. She intended to exchange gifts with him but wasn't planning on picking something up today. The pressure to find something was on. They only had an hour before they were to meet Henry in the food court. "Is an hour too long? We could just meet in the food court where Henry will be."

"No love, that's fine. Happy shopping." He kissed her on the cheek and disappeared into the crowds.

-\-

An hour and five minutes later she was no closer to finding a suitable gift for him than she was when he had left her. Not wanting to keep either of them waiting she resigned herself to the fact that she'd just have to come back out another day and do some shopping alone in hopes of finding the perfect gift for him.

She found them sitting together at a table, Henry sipping on a hot chocolate. "How'd you do?" She asked him.

"I got everything on the list and then some other stuff that was just too good to pass up." Henry replied.

"And you?" She asked Killian.

He held up three shopping bags. "Quite well, love. Were you as successful?"

"Yes." She lied. "Are we grabbing breakfast here or you wanna go to Granny's?"

"Granny's." they said in unison.

* * *

><p><strong>Of course Killian would find gifts for her family right away, right? Poor Emma. :) <strong>


	3. Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! I'm glad you like this pile of CS fluff I have going on over here! :) I'm assuming we're having another episode of angst, so here is some fluff to get you through it. **

* * *

><p><strong>Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree<strong>

"We're going to drop off the packages at home and get Grandpa's truck and go get the tree, right mom?" Henry asked excitedly shoving large hunks of pancake into his mouth.

"Yeah, but we have time. The tree farm doesn't even open for another hour so you can actually chew your food you know." Emma replied, smiling at her son.

"Tree farm?" Killian asked confused.

"Did you have Christmas trees in the Enchanted Forest?" Henry asked.

"No." Killian replied slowly.

"Then what did you put presents under?" Henry asked incredulously.

"Presents went in stockings, hung over the fire." Killian replied.

"Here we do both." Emma cut in. "We buy a tree, decorate it and then the presents go under it. Stockings are hung on the mantle or somewhere nearby (in case you don't have a fireplace) and those are filled by Santa on Christmas Eve."

"Is this Santa you speak of the same as Father Christmas?" Killian asked.

"Yeah! He also goes by Kris Kringle and Saint Nicholas or Saint Nick." Henry interjected.

"The man has an awful lot of names." Killian mumbled.

"That's because he's known by different names all over the world." Henry answered.

"But back to the tree part, you can either pick up a pre-cut tree or you can go to the tree farm and cut one down on your own. Cutting it down is so much more fun so we're going to do that. My parents are coming with us. You do want to go, right?" Emma asked.

"Of course love, but I must ask. Do you sleep at all on this day?"

She laughed. "After we get the tree and get it set up in the loft, we heat up some leftovers and typically fall asleep in front of the tv."

-/-

Much to Henry's dismay it was three hours later before they finally arrived at the tree farm. Mary-Margaret had taken him upstairs to see what gifts he bought for everyone else and then did the same thing to Emma. Then Neal needed to wake up from his nap and be fed and then there was a bottle issue that left him covered in milk so he needed to be given a bath before they could all finally head over to the tree farm.

Emma took in Killian's reaction as they headed to the entrance of the farm. His eyes were wide with amusement. To the left stood two wooden buildings, one which housed the cashiers and smaller items that could be purchased. Behind that was the food shack, the smells of hot chocolate and pit beef were wafting toward her nose. Opposite the shacks were the machines responsible for shaking the excess needles off the trees as well as binding them in twine. A large post stood to the side with measurements allowing those to see just how tall their tree was going to be. Straight ahead, different trees stood propped up against a fence with large boards in front of them displaying their names and prices for the season. Just past that was the path leading to the trees they could choose from, a pile of sleds on the left and a shelf built to hang saws on the right.

"Mom, can I get a hot chocolate before we start looking? It's kinda cold today." Henry asked.

Emma handed him a ten dollar bill. "Get one for me too." She figured she'd just share with Killian.

A few minutes later they were heading up the path toward the trees, Henry pulling the sled behind them.

"This one is nice." David pointed to a very tall, very fat tree.

"Too fat and too tall. The ceilings are only 8 foot here, remember?" Mary-Margaret reminded him.

"The ceilings in our castle in the Enchanted Forest were at least sixteen foot high. We could have put a grand tree in there." David said wistfully.

"This one?" Henry called from a few rows over.

Emma and Killian made it to him first. "Nah kid, it's leaning to the side from this angle."

Over an hour passed with calls of "this one?" always shot down for some reason or another. Too tall, too short, too fat, not enough branches, too sickly looking.

"I had no idea choosing a tree was such difficult work." Killian remarked to Emma.

"Yeah, okay this is a bit excessive." Emma admitted, pulling on his hand to lead him into the rows of trees. "Let's see if we can find one."

He stopped, pulling her back into his arms. "I thought you pulled me away from your family for some alone time." He winked at her.

"That wasn't my plan, no. But now that we're he-" She was cut off as his lips pressed against hers.

She was so caught up in the feel of his lips against hers, the taste of hot chocolate still lingering on his tongue, how the warmth still radiated off his exposed chest that she didn't even hear the approaching footsteps or her name being called.

A loud clearing of the throat finally caused them to break apart. She sheepishly met her father's eyes but before he could reprimand her, Henry cut in. "Eww mom! There's other kids here that don't need to see that! Gross. Now come on I think we found a tree over here."

Killian looked past Emma to the tree they had chosen to hide behind. "Whats wrong with this one, lad?" he asked.

Henry began walking around the tree. Emma turned to appraise it as well, fingers pulling on the branches to see if any of the needles fell off.

"It's not a bad tree." David said.

Mary-Margaret looked up from the baby in her arms. "I like it. And not just because I think Neal is going to freeze should we stay out here much longer."

"It's the right height, isn't it Dad?" Emma asked her father.

"Yeah, it appears to be." David replied.

Henry came around from the opposite side of the tree. "No bare spots and it's not inhabited by any woodland creatures. This works, let's cut it down."

Emma turned to Killian. "You found it, would you like to do the honors?"

Killian looked between Emma and Henry holding the saw. "Perhaps I'll just hold it up while the lad does the work." He grinned at Henry then held up his hook. "Looks like this thing will come in handy after all."

He secured his hook around the tree as Henry began to cut it down. A few minutes later David knelt down to even up the cutting job and the tree was laid on the sled. The group began to trudge back toward the entrance of the tree farm. Emma hung back with Killian.

"So your first adventure out to a tree farm and you find the tree. Good job!" She smiled up at him.

"You think I didn't see that tree before I pulled you behind it, Swan? You may think I was just taking advantage of a few moments alone with you, but I assure you, it was merely a way to pass the time as I staked claim on our tree to make sure no one else found it first." He said seriously.

Emma laughed loudly. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, pirate."

They caught up with the others at the entrance to the farm. While her parents were inside paying for the tree and Henry was in line for another hot chocolate, she pulled Killian over to the wooden logs surrounding the fire. "So what do you think of this tradition?" She asked sitting down on a log.

His arm went around her waist. "It's quite nice. Very rustic and not at all what I expected of this realm. With all the other modern amenities that exist here, this does not quite seem to fit in."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Yeah it's one of those things that I hope never goes away though. There's just something special, magical even about going to pick out your very own tree. Then you get to decorate it and wait for Santa to come and leave you presents. It's just better than picking out a tree from in front of the grocery store or something."

-/-

David quickly screwed the tree into the stand. Mary-Margaret was waiting with the tree skirt to place underneath. Henry had filled the watering can up and had an aspirin in hand.

"What is the purpose of giving the tree medication?" Killian asked confused.

"It's more out of habit than anything. They used to say that if you gave the tree some type of painkiller the branches would fall faster and it would live longer, but a couple of years ago, a tv show proved that it really doesn't make any difference at all." Emma explained. "We can still put the lights on it tonight and then in a day or two when the branches fall down some we can put the ornaments on it."

"I see." Killian said although he clearly didn't.

Two bad sets of lights, some colorful phrases and a lot of going round and round the tree later, the tree finally sparkled with white lights.

"Are you done with the tree?" Mary-Margaret called. "Lunch is ready."

Slices of leftover turkey had been arranged over bread and covered with gravy. The leftover mashed potatoes had been repurposed into a potato soup. The food was hot, hearty and very filling. Emma quickly found her eyes drooping. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was already three in the afternoon. They had been awake and on the go a little more than twelve hours already. A glance over to her pirate showed he was also struggling to stay awake.

She took his plate and deposited it in the sink along with hers. "I'll do the dishes later mom." She said before pulling him over to the couch with her.

"Swan, I'm rather tired…" he started.

"I know, this is the part where we nap." She said resting her head on his chest.

He laughed. "Well, if you insist."

Before she nodded off, Emma opened her eyes once more to take in the room around her. Her mother sat at the kitchen table with her father, both sipping coffee, while her baby brother rested in her fathers arms. Henry was lying on the floor in front of the tree with a book but she could tell he was almost asleep as well. The room twinkled with the lights of the tree and smelled strongly of pine. Killian's arm pulled her in closer and she felt his lips graze the top of her head. _This was a perfect day_ Emma thought before closing her eyes once more.


	4. Chapter 4: Deck the Halls

**Sorry it's taking me forever to get these posted. Work is kinda crazy around this time and even though I am 100% in the holiday spirit, writing it is not coming as easy as I'd expected. I have a lot more holiday things I want Killian to experience though so I'm going to try to get them written quickly since I'm kinda running out of time. **

**To the guest who left a review asking for Emma to take care of sick!Killian, I have it 90% written so you'll see that soon I hope! (Poor Killian, sick for the holidays.)**

* * *

><p><em>Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la, tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la<em>

"I hate that song!"

_Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep-_

"Do you want me to fall asleep or decorate?"

_I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do, don't want a doll, no dinky tinker toy, I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy-_

"Henry, turn that song off right now!"

_Rockin' around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop…_

"Let's stick with that."

Killian sat in the armchair at the Charmings loft utterly amused with the conversation and music surrounding him. He had no idea why Mary-Margaret hated the first song but he could easily understand why Henry might want to fall asleep to the second (it did have a lullaby quality to it) and no idea why the third one irritated Emma as much as it did, however he was content to just sit here and listen to them, taking in these family traditions during the holidays.

He glanced over at her, to where she sat on the floor in front of the decorated Christmas tree with her son. The white lights glittering on the tree created a halo-like effect on her hair, the soft lighting of the loft only added to the angelic look.

It had been centuries since he had celebrated the holidays; so long ago he could barely recall the memories. As a pirate, holidays simply did not exist. His crew was his family and should they be lucky enough to find new treasure during the holidays it was merely celebrated as any other treasure. The days didn't matter. As a child his memories were not happy; he remembered the cold and the snow but nothing happy about this time of year. A hazy memory from his teenage years floated to the front of his mind. His first year in the Navy with Liam. The king held a grand ball on Christmas Eve and all sailors were to be in attendance. Clean shaved and scrubbed clean in his freshly pressed uniform, he intended to avoid dancing but men, particularly those who knew how to dance, were in short supply and he found himself dancing almost every song.

It reminded him of another dance, at another ball with a stunning vision in red. He smiled at the reminder that she attended her first ball with him and had her first waltz with him as well. Traditions in this realm weren't quite the same, as he was gathering, but he was honored to be by her side for those moments. A soft smile crossed his face.

Suddenly she appeared before him, all smiles and her hand coming to gently rest on his.

"Killian? Lost in another world there?" She asked softly.

"It appears so. I apologize. What did you ask of me?" He smiled sheepishly.

"We have been tasked with putting up the decorations in the living room. That's all three of these big totes." She explained.

He helped her unpack the totes first, pulling out items wrapped in tissue paper, candles with scents such as winter pine, cranberry crisp and sugar cookie, a nativity set, a wide variety of snow globes, something called window clings and a can of something labeled "fake snow".

"Love, what is this fake snow?" He asked holding the can gingerly with his hook.

"It's uh...foam like stuff that you can spray on the windows and it gives the look of snow." She explained.

"But it snows here. Why would one want fake snow?" He asked confused.

"Well, it doesn't snow everywhere and it doesn't always snow right for Christmas so I guess since they sell this stuff all over, if you live somewhere that doesn't get snow now you can create your own." Emma explained.

She handed him two matching table runners, red with a small gold-stitched trim. "Put one on the top of the table and the other on the shelf below it. Then these decorations on the bottom shelf and the snow globes on top." She pointed to two piles of decorations.

He placed the runner down first, then found a small round mirror and placed that in the center. Around the mirror, he placed the different tree decorations; some white to resemble snow, some lush and green, others covered in various colors of glitter. Next he found a set of deer, arranging them on the outskirts of the mirror. A few bird decorations, not practical in size were placed between the trees as well. Finally a few small snowflake decorations were perched between the trees as well.

"What do you think, love?" he asked, calling her back over from hanging a wreath on the wall.

"Wow, really? Usually we just kinda line everything up. That's so pretty." Emma said, impressed.

Not long later, every surface of the loft was covered in Christmas decorations, from the red and green "Merry Christmas" embroidered throw pillows on the couch to the silver throw with snowflakes hung over the chair, to the end tables and coffee table. Twinkling white lights hung from the ceiling, wreaths decorated every door, even the kitchen towels were replaced with holiday printed ones. Garland was wrapped around the banner, the welcome mat was replaced with its holiday counterpart, the kitschy assortment of mugs replaced with ones adorned with snowflakes. Decorating complete, her parents had run out to Granny's to pick up dinner.

"One last thing" Emma said, standing on tiptoe to place a piece of greenery on a hook above the door.

He immediately went over to help her, taking it from her hand and placing it on its perch. "And what is this?" he asked.

"Mistletoe." Henry groaned from across the room.

"Mistletoe?" Killian repeated.

"If two people get caught under it, they have to kiss." Henry explained.

"Swan, how forward of you." He teased, grinning at her.

She rolled her eyes at him, gently pushing him away, but she was still smiling.

"My other mom is right. You both _are _always making eyes at each other. I'm going upstairs." Henry huffed.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't make eyes at you."

She snorted. "Yeah, actually you do."

"I do not!" He insisted.

"YES, YOU DO!" Henry yelled down the steps.

Emma went up on her tiptoes, arms going around his neck. "I don't mind." She said, almost shyly before capturing his lips with hers.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm "meh" on this chapter. What'd you think? And thank you again for all your reviews, follows and favorites. Christmas cookies for all! :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Happy New Year

**Hello lovelies! I'm sorry I disappeared for so long. Work and life in general has been kind of insane and I kind of lost my Christmas spirit and ran out of CS ideas. Sorry to anyone out there who was expecting/looking for more CS Christmas fluff. **

**However, I'm back with them celebrating New Years Eve together. (Totally not what I sat down to write, but hey, I'll take it!) Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>"What do you think?" Emma asked, coming down the stairs in a red sequined shirt with her usual skinny jeans and boots.<p>

"Dazzling?" he offered.

"New Years Eve is about being glitzy. Look at my eyes." She said, coming to a stop in front of him and closing her eyes. Her usual black eyeliner was replaced with a glittery silver line.

"Then I'd say you fit the bill, love." he replied. "Although, I never expected this realm to have a holiday where the purpose was to become inebriated."

She laughed, slipping on her jacket. "It's not, well, it's about celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of a new one and since celebrating and alcohol go hand in hand…"

"As long as I'm not separating any drunk dwarf fights, I'm sure it will be a pleasant evening with you." He grinned, opening the front door and gesturing for her to go first.

Ruby had really done a number on Granny's. You could barely tell it was the same diner. Disco balls and glittering lights hung from the ceiling surrounding through waves and dips of crepe paper. All of the booth seats and backs were covered in black linens with matching black tablecloths. Confetti adorned every available surface and each table had their own assortment of silver and white candles surrounding a bottle of champagne. Plain colored balloons floated about, intermixing with printed ones stating "Happy New Year", "2015", and "Celebrate". Four very large balloons spelling out 2015 were tied to a chair at the back of the diner. Bowls full of streamers and poppers were on a table at the entrance. The large television from the sitting room of the inn had been brought in and placed high up on a stack of tables, channel already set to watch the ball drop in New York City.

"Wow, this place looks amazing." Emma said as Ruby came up to them.

"Thanks! I never thought Granny was going to go for it, especially the tv, but hey, what is NYE without watching the ball drop, ya know?" Ruby replied making her way back behind the bar. "So, drinks. Rum for you, Captain? Emma, I had to bribe Jack over at the Rabbit Hole but he gave me a bottle of this new vanilla infused whiskey he started brewing himself. You gotta try it."

Less than an hour later the diner was completely full of Storybrooke residents, so packed it was nearly impossible to get through the crowd without accidentally bumping into someone. They had retreated to their usual booth in the back.

"Do you know the midnight tradition?" Emma asked, finishing her third vanilla infused whiskey. (Damn these were good.)

"I'm afraid not, but I'm sure you'll clue me in." He responded, waving to Ruby to indicate another round.

"See the big ball on the tv over there? At midnight they drop it down but ten seconds before they start a countdown and everyone has to join in and then at midnight you're supposed to kiss someone. It's good luck for the new year." She explained.

"The traditions of this holiday continue to improve." He said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes at him. "We gotta order food or I'm never going to make it to midnight drinking these." she gestured to the empty glass with her hand. "You hungry?"

"Famished. I thought it might be a tradition to starve oneself in favor of libations instead." He said, grasping at his stomach in exaggeration.

"You're so dramatic. Cheeseburgers and fries?" She asked.

Around ten, Grumpy came over to their table with a glint in his eye. "How about some beer pong, savior?"

Emma regarded him for a moment. His words were slurred and he was already beginning to sway. It would be an easy round to win. "You're on." She said, standing him and grabbing Killian's hand to pull him over to where the tables were set up.

"Beer pong?" Killian asked, confused.

She pointed to the table. "See how the cups are set up in a triangle on both sides of the table? They're filled with beer. The purpose is to take those little white balls, ping pong balls so that's where the name came from, and throw them so they land in the cups on the opposite end of the table. Each side of the table has two players who take turns. If you both get the a ball in the cup, you get them back to throw again. If you bounce a ball on the table and get it in, you get the ball back as well. When the ball goes in the cup, the person on that team has to drink the beer in the cup. You win when you make the other team drink all their beer. Oh, and those cups over to the side are dunk cups. You dunk the balls in them after each round to get the beer off."

"Of all the inventions in this realm, you chose to throw balls in cups filled with beer as a game?" He asked.

Emma snorted. "It was started by college kids and if there is anything you can say about college kids, it's that they are always finding new things to do while drinking. This is huge though. Bars in cities have tournaments and championships for stuff like this and give out cash prizes."

"Well come on then, love. I believe we have two staggeringly drunk dwarves to beat." He grinned, taking the ping pong balls from her hand.

They won three rounds in a row before bowing out to the next team that wanted to play.

"Take that, dwarf!" Killian shouted as he walked past Grumpy and Happy.

"Beginners luck, pirate. You won't be as lucky next time!" Grumpy shot back.

Twenty minutes before the ball was to drop, Ruby declared herself officially off the clock and moved bottles of liquor to the bar. "Pour your own drinks!" She shouted above the noise.

"Two minutes!" someone yelled from the crowd beginning to gather around the television, ball glowing and ready to fall..

"Come on." She pulled him as close as they could get to the television.

"This has been a very peculiar evening but I am most amused at your traditions. Especially your beer pong skills mi'lady. How unfitting for a princess." He said, arms wrapping around her waist.

She snorted. "I am _not _a princess. To be honest, I didn't play that much beer pong in my youth. Just a few times when I got suckered into playing in a bar. It's not really my thing."

"TEN!" Someone shouted nearby. They joined in.

"NINE."

"EIGHT."

"SEVEN."

"SIX."

She could barely see the ball over all the people in the diner. She felt his fingers entwine with hers, pulling her toward the door. She allowed him to lead her outside, smiling softly when he went to the table where they shared their first kiss, sitting in the same chair she found him in after their adventure to the Enchanted Forest, and pulling her onto his lap. She could still hear the shouting from inside.

"FIVE."

"FOUR."

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

His hand came around the back of her neck, pulling her closer. "Happy New Year, love." He whispered before closing his lips over hers. The kiss was slow and exploratory, almost as though being in the same seat has transported them back to that time; the only difference that instead of practically falling out of her chair to lean into him like last time, she was perched on his lap, arms wrapped around his neck.

She took control of the kiss, fingers running through his hair and tugging, tilting his head further so she could deepen the kiss. His hand came around the side of her face, fingers stroking her jaw. She broke the kiss but kept her forehead rested against his. "Happy New Year, Killian." She said, softly.

His lips were on hers again, and despite the cold she found herself just going with it. Things had been quiet around town lately but she knew it wouldn't stay that way forever. She needed to get in all of those quiet moments when she could. Even if that included sitting on a ex-pirate's lap outside of Granny's diner on New Years Eve in the cold. She pulled back again, whispering against his lips. "Think it will be a good year?"

"Love, any year or day or moment that I get to spend with you is wonderful, so if you're so inclined to keep me around," he paused grinning wickedly, "yes, I believe it will be quite the good year."

She flushed before grinning wryly at him. "I think you're worth keeping around a bit longer." She teased.

"I suppose I'll just have to convince you…" he trailed off, ducking his head until his lips pressed against her neck. "Just." Kiss. "How." Kiss. "Useful." Kiss. "I." Kiss. "Can." Kiss. "Be."

* * *

><p><strong>Happy New Year! I hope you have an wonderful and safe start to 2015! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6: No Color

**For the CS Hiatus Meme, week 1 theme: No Color**

* * *

><p>"Smile!" Henry says and she instinctively leans her head in towards Killian's. <em>Click. <em>"It's a good one."

She hears the click of the flash a few more times throughout the evening. They're spending a quiet Sunday night having dinner with her parents.

_-\-_

"What do you think?" Henry asks handing her a stack of photos, some in black and white, some in color.

She flips through them, there are pictures of her and Killian, her and her parents, her parents together, Killian and her baby brother, everyone minus Henry, and a few 'selfie-style' where he had turned around the camera to be in the picture. They were all really good pictures. Her son had quite the knack for photography. "These are great Henry! You're a natural with the camera."

"Thanks, mom. Oh, look at this one." He says handing her a picture frame. It's a candid photo of her and Killian; he's looking at her with that look she's come to realize is only reserved for her. She's looking back at him, lips lifted slightly in the corners, eyes soft. It perfectly captures them.

"Wow." Emma is at a loss for words.

"I thought you'd like that one so I had it framed so you can put it on the wall somewhere." Henry says.

She hangs it in her bedroom, not quite ready to share it with the anyone else.

_* a few days later * _

"What's this, love?" He asks, pointing to the frame on the wall.

"Oh, Henry took it when we were at my parents for dinner a while back. He took a lot of great photos though, he's really good at photography." Emma answers.

"But why does it not have color?" He asks.

"Oh, when Henry had the photos printed out he could choose to keep it in color or change it to black and white. There's also a sepia option but I think that just makes photos look weird." She explains.

"I see." He says, arm reaching out to pull her to his side. "I hadn't realized he captured such an intimate moment."

"Yeah...you uh, look at me like that a lot." She confesses.

"Hmm. Perhaps it's not so intimate then."

"No, it is. That's why it's up here." She replies.

He turns her to face him. "Perhaps you could share another with me." He says, tilting her chin up and bringing his lips to hers.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites and follows. They mean so much to me! <strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Smiles

**Just a short little thing for the CS Hiatus Meme. Theme: Captain Swan + Smiles**

* * *

><p>She's amused by all of his facial expressions, especially when he scratches behind his ear on the rare occasions that he is feeling awkward or bashful, but it is his smile that she loves the most.<p>

The slight quirk of his lips when he's amused by something. The wide-eyed but closed-lip smile he gives her when she initiates some form of affection in front of her parents or the town residents. The everyday smile he offers that causes the skin around his eyes to crinkle. The wicked grin he gives her any time an innuendo is about to fall from his lips. But the one that gets her the most; the one that makes her breath hitch in her chest, is the smile just reserved for her. The one that starts with his eyes, softening but gazing intently into hers, full of adoration and admiration like she is necessary to his survival. The one that sometimes leaves the tips of his ears pink but always brings out his dimples in full force, curving into the apples of his cheeks, full lips spread wide to reveal perfectly straight teeth. The one that is almost always accompanied but a tilt of his head, his hand reaching out to touch her, body swaying closer, eliminating any bit of personal space she may have still maintained. She doesn't mind though, as that smile is always preceded or followed by a toe-curling kiss that leaves her breathless.

...

He is fascinated by everything she does, although he'll never admit to her just how smitten he is. He hasn't yet been able to decide if the dent in her chin, right under her lip or the small of her back is his favorite place. His fingers always seem to gravitate toward those places.

But it is her smile that has the ability to lighten his heart. Before, smiling did not come easily for her and as silly of an expression as it is, it warms his heart every time he sees her smiling.

He likes the way her lips purse with just a hint of amusement in her eyes when he does something particularly exasperating. The closed-lip, slightly guarded smile she shares when someone is pressing her for too much information. The wide grin she gives every time Henry runs toward her arms outstretched for a hug. The almost imperceptible lift of her lips that happens every time he touches her, whether it's just his fingertips gracing the small of her back or his fingers coming to interlace with hers. The broad smile that graces her lips while she is teasing him about his age or knowledge of the realm. But the one that is his absolute favorite is the one that can't always be considered a smile. It's the glassy eyed gaze where her lips are parted, breath coming out in pants. Sometimes the corners of her mouth are curled up slightly. The one that causes the flush on her cheeks making her skin glow. The one where her chest heaves, lungs trying to catch up on the intake of air they has lost. The one where she appears unsteady on her feet, body swaying in toward his, her hands firmly placed on his forearms or around his neck to keep her grounded. The one that only happens after he has properly and thoroughly kissed her.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry these short little things are all I've been able to share lately. It's a super busy time at work and I just have no free time to write. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Exchange of Hand

**CS Hiatus Meme - week 3. Theme: Killian Jones + Hand **

**This fits the theme in the sense that it involves Killian and a hand, but not the way I expected or intended it to go at all. **

* * *

><p>He's going to die in a clock tower of all bloody places. He can't help but wonder how long it will take for him to be found. <em>Please do not let it be Emma that finds me<em> he silently begs to any deity willing to listen to him.

Even without the organ necessary for life he feels his chest constrict, his breathing become more shallow. He refuses to let any emotion show on his face. The crocodile may finally get to finish the job but he will never beg for his life, never let the vile excuse of a man know just how terrified his is to die.

It reminds him of her again, how he promised her that she didn't need to worry and he was a survivor. A knot tightened in his stomach. Breaking promises, especially one to her, was something he never wanted to do. _If only I weren't such a bloody fool thinking I could blackmail the crocodile. _

A flash of red causes him to return his gaze to the other man. He had been speaking all along, but Killian couldn't bring himself to care enough to listen. His eyes follow the flash and see that it's his heart, being waved around like some careless object.

"Aren't you listening, pirate?" The crocodile sneers.

Mustering a smirk, he tries to appear uninterested. "No I wasn't listening." He replies flatly.

"Never you mind then. It obviously isn't of importance. My uses for you have run out. Hope you got to say goodbye to your loved-oh dearie, I quite forgot - you have no loved ones."

He knows the other man is trying to get a rise out of him.

"Bye then!" the crocodile says rather cheerfully before squeezing the organ in his hand.

The pain radiates through his body like fire causing him to fall to his knees. Just as he is about to close his eyes and succumb to death when something bright and blonde comes into his vision. "EMMA!" he shouts, his own voice being drowned out by her screams.

-\-

"It's okay, it's okay." she whispers soothingly, her cold hand crossing his chest to rest over his heart.

His fingers close over hers as he sucks in air harshly between his teeth. "I'm sorry for waking you." He mutters.

"Shh. Nightmare?" she inquires.

He nods and she moves closer, her body firmly pressed to his side, her leg draping over his. Her fingers flex, lightly slightly to trace idle patterns over his chest, right above his heart.

"I could enchant it, you know. The thing Regina did to Henry to make sure it couldn't be taken again. But I'd have to take it out first." She says softly.

A sly grin crosses his face. "You want to take my heart?" He teases.

She snorts. "To make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands again. Don't worry I'm not going to turn into Regina and Cora and start collecting the things."

"Perhaps you could be a bit more gentle with the removal and reinsertion process this time, love?" He asks.

She grins before reaching her hand into his chest and gently removing his heart. "Perhaps."

Holding it in one hand, the fingers of her other hand wiggle over it, white light emitting from them. His heart is surrounded with a soft white glow.

"It looks good there." He says softly.

She laughs. "In my hand? Not exactly my kind of fashion statement." Much gentler than the first time, she pushes it back into place. "Now you're stuck with it forever."

"I should think not, love." He replies.

Confusion crosses her face. "But you had me enchant-"

He cuts her off. "Perhaps not physically, but it has been in your possession for quite some time."

She flushes and averts her eyes. " Who would have guessed? The fearsome Captain Hook is really a sap." She says sarcastically, resorting to her old ways of avoiding subjects that make her uncomfortable.

He shrugs. "I expect this shall be our little secret?"

She tilts her head noncommittally but before she can blink again she finds herself pinned under him.

A wicked grin crosses his face. "I suppose I'll just have to keep you here like this until you agree to the terms."

She stretches under him, pressing her body harder into his before offering her own wicked smile. "I'm going to tell everyone unless you can find some way to keep me quiet." Her eyebrows raise as she offers him the challenge.

His teeth graze her earlobe causing her to shudder. "Oh love, challenge accepted. You'll keep quiet about our little secret but that is all. I'm sure you'll be quite loud this evening with what I have in mind."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you again for the reviews and follows! You're all awesome. <strong>


End file.
